Railroad tie



J N. HOBART RAILROAD TTE Jun 7, ,1932.

Original Filed Nov 25, 1930 XWHXZZJ Mai/Mu Patented June 7, 1932 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH N. HOBART, OF NEW CUMBERLAND, PENNSYLVANIA,.ASSIGNOR TO HOLMES IB. GRONINGER, OF PORT ROYAL, PENNSYLVANIA RAILROADTIE Original application filed November 25, 1930, Serial No. 497,968,now Patent No. 1,824,778, dated September 29, 1931. Divided and thisapplication filed July 3, 1931,

This invention relates to reinforced concrete sleepers or railroad ties,and the present application constitutes a division of my application forpatent Serial No. 497,968, filed November 25, 1930, upon whichapplication Patent No. 1,824,778 was granted September 29th, 1931.

It is realized that, broadly, reinforced concrete sleepers are not new,but my invention is directed to certain refinements in structure. Oneobject is to provide a concrete sleeper which has a metallicreinforcement arranged in a particularly effective manner within itsbody, to the end that in service a tie of given dimensions shall havegreater strength to withstand impact of heavy loads. Another object ofthe invention is to provide a concrete sleeper which is reinforced withstrips of metal fabric, which strips of metal fabric are so disposedwithin the body of the sleeper that a maximum strength is obtained bythe use of a minimum weight of reinforcing metal.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. I is a View, partly in side elevationand partly in vertical section, of a sleeper embodying the invention;Fig. II is a view in plan from above of the same; and Fig. III is afragmentary view in side elevation, and to larger scale, of a typicalform of metal fabric which may be employed as the reinforcement for thesleeper.

The sleeper comprises a monolithic body A of elongate, rectangularshape. As indicated in the drawing, it is formed of concrete and hasembedded in its body a metallic reinforcement. Advantageously, suchreinforcement includes strips 1 of metal fabric, and a plurality of rods2. Each strip 1, in the plane of its reach, extends with the length andheight of the body A; the several strips are disposed at intervalsthroughout the width of the sleeper, and rods 2 are included, aselements of the reinforcement, with the strips of metal fabric. Theserods are located between the strips 1 in the manner illustrated in Fig.II, and it will be seen that, conveniently, there are four rods 2distributed transversely of the sleeper. The two inner rods of the fourextend adjacent the serial No. 548,515.

The use of strips of'metal fabric, or of expanded metal plate, isparticularly desirable. I show in Fig. III a typical form of metalfabric or lattice which is inexpensively formed by the slitting andexpanding of a metal plate. The practice followed in so forming suchlattice is well known to the art, and I shall not dwell further upon it.It should be mentioned, however, that a fabric having the diamond shapedinterstices, as shown in Fig. III, is particularly effective. e

As means for securing the rails 14 tothe sleeper, I show bolts 13. Atie-plate 11 is positioned beneath each rail, and advantageously Iprovide a plate 9 of insulating material beneath each tie-plate.Conveniently the sleeper is formed'with a shallow pocket 90 for thereception and positioning of each insulating plate 9. Holes 15 extendinto the bodyof the sleeper for reception of the railsecuring bolts 13.In alignment with each bolt hole 15 is a recess or well 3, and withineach recess a bolt-securing nut 5 is positioned. The wells 3 areflat-walled, to prevent the nuts housed therein from turning; iently thewells are square in cross section a-nd the nuts 5 which they house,correspondingly, are square. It will be noted that each nut 5 is locatedwithin the body A, occupying only a'portion of its associated recess 3.The remaining portion of the recessthe region of the recess which isunoccupied by the nutis packed with mastic filler 4, or other suitablefiller material which is waterproof and electrically non-conductive. The

filler 4 is tightly packed into place, and in effect makes each nut 5 anintegral part of the sleeper. Accordingly, the threaded shank of therail-securing bolts 13 can be readily screwed home, to secure the railc'lamplng members 12. As described in my above-noted patent the walls ofbolt holes 15 and the walls of the recesses 8 are provided with a liningof insulating material, whereby,

the rails are insulated from each other, and are prevented fromgrounding.

Sleepers which are reinforced in accordance with my invention arecompact, providing a more stable track, better rail alignment, andsuperior track surface;

I claim as my invention:

1. A sleeper comprising a monolithic .body of concrete having a metallicreinforcement which includes strips of metal lattice cut to size anddisposed to extend in the planes of their reaches with the length andheight of said monolithic body, which strips are disposed at intervalstransversely of said bod 2L A sleeper comprising a monolithic bo y ofconcrete having a reinforcement which includes a plurality of strips ofmetal fabric, which strips of metal fabric are made to size and aredisposed to extend in the planes of their reaches with the length andheight of said monolithic body and at intervals from one anothertransversely of the sleeper, and a plurality of rodsextending with thelength of said body and in the intervals between said strips.

3. A sleeper comprising a monolithic body having a metallicreinforcement which ineludes a plurality of strips of metal latticedisposed at intervals substantially throughout the width of said body,which strips of metal lattice extend in the planes of their reaches withthe length and height of said body, and .a plurality of rods extendingwith the length of said body and in the intervals between said latticestrips, and at least one of said rods beingso shaped with respect to itslength that its medial portion extends in I proximity to the top face ofsaid body, while a remaining portion thereof is locatedin proximity tothe bottom face of said body.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

' JOSEPH HOBART;

